The UK's Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is investigating whether an officer was in pursuit of a car moments before it was involved in a crash which left an Irish toddler and his unborn sister dead.

The UK's Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is investigating whether an officer was in pursuit of a car moments before it was involved in a crash which left an Irish toddler and his unborn sister dead.

Con, 39, and Elber Twomey, 36, from the village of Meelin in Co Cork, Ireland, are in a critical condition in Plymouth's Derriford Hospital in Devon following the head-on crash involving two cars on Hamelin Way, Torquay, at about 2.45pm on Friday.

The couple's son, Oisin, two, died, alongside the couple's unborn daughter who relatives said was to be named Elber Marie.

The driver of the other car, a Polish man in his 20s who has not yet been named by police, was arrested at the scene but subsequently died.

The IPCC said in a statement it had conducted an assessment of the circumstances of the incident "and decided to independently investigate police actions and decisions before the collision, including whether or not an officer was in pursuit of a black Vauxhall Vectra".

Police have been investigating whether the Vauxhall, driven by the Polish man, was travelling on the wrong side of the road when it hit with the Twomeys' Volkswagen Golf.

IPCC commissioner Rachel Cerfontyne said: "This is a tragedy for the family and friends of those who died and also those still in hospital.

"The IPCC will be using its own investigators to establish what happened and is appealing for members of the public who may have witnessed anything to get in touch with our investigation."